White Energy idles Plainview ethanol plant

By SHANNA SISSOM | Herald Managing Editor

Published 2:49 pm, Monday, January 28, 2013

Photo: Shanna Sissom/Plainview Herald

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White Energy at 2698 East U.S. Highway 70 is idling ethanol operations due to drought. The company employs 45 people locally, all of whom are currently working on cleaning and maintenance at the plant.Those workers are not expected to lose their jobs, and plant manager Alfred Flores said they are hoping to resume normal production at least by the corn harvest. less

White Energy at 2698 East U.S. Highway 70 is idling ethanol operations due to drought. The company employs 45 people locally, all of whom are currently working on cleaning and maintenance at the plant.Those ... more

Photo: Shanna Sissom/Plainview Herald

White Energy idles Plainview ethanol plant

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In yet another drought-related economic indicator, Plainview’s White Energy ethanol plant has idled, a company official confirmed Monday.

The local facility employs 45 people, who are currently engaged in plant-wide cleaning and maintenance repair, said plant manager Alfred Flores.

“Everyone’s still working,” Flores said.

The idle status took effect on Monday, Jan. 7.

That was before Cargill announced Jan. 17 its meat-processing facility would idle in large part due to extended drought, in its case laying off about 2,200 workers.

“Right now we’re hoping to idle through the first quarter, but it might be through the next corn harvest in October,” Flores said.

The ethanol plant, Flores said, should be able to sustain employment for its workers until the harvest.

“I think so,” Flores said. “We did it back in ’09.” That’s when the plant went idle for eight months as the company back then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

“We may lose some people; I’m sure some may be looking because they might be scared and decide to seek employment elsewhere,” Flores said.

The Dallas-based company also has ethanol plants in Hereford and Russell, Kan. Those ethanol facilities are not being idled, Flores said.